2i8 The Ottawa Naturalist. [February 



NOTES ON THE ACADIAN OWL fNVCTALA ACAD/CAJ 



IN CAPTIVITY. 



By F. Norman Beattie, Guelph, Ont. 



On the fourth of November, 1899, while strolling through 

 a small swale near this city, I noticed an Acadian Owl with a field 

 mouse in its claws, perched on a small bush. Thinking I might 

 capture him, I sent my companion around in front to engage his 

 attention while I sneaked up behind to grab him. The dodge 

 worked, and I soon had him sately stowed in the pocket of my 

 coat. He did not seem to mind being caught in the least, not 

 even snapping his bill, but he objected when I took his mouse 

 away. We took him home and let him loose in a small room 

 which is not used for anything in particular. He immediately 

 took possession, and now he started to puff himself up and snap 

 his bill at anyone who went near. This wore oft in a short time, 

 though he always resented being handled. For some time he did 

 not take readily to beef, leaving it strictly alone if he could get 

 anything else, but sometimes I was forced to give it to him, and 

 in the course of a few weeks he overcame his dislike to it and 

 ate it freely. His favourite food was mice, which, unfortunately, 

 I was not always able to give him. However, he was also fond 

 of a squirrel or a small bird. His method of eating a bird was 

 peculiar. First he would pounce down upon it as if it were alive 

 and then, holding it down with one foot, would pull out a fist-full 

 of feathers with the other. He would repeat this operation, 

 changing feet each time, till most of the larger feathtrs were out; 

 then he would pull off the head and swallow the body if small 

 enough; if not, he would pull it apart, holding it with one foot and 

 pulling with his beak. I never knew him to swallow a bird's 

 head though he always did a mouse's. He invariably pounced 

 down upon his food and seized it firmly in his claws as he evi- 

 dently was in the habit of doing with live game. 



He could gulp a surprisingly large piece of beef, in fact, 

 when several pieces were given him he always chose the largest 

 first. If too large to swallow whole he would take a few bites 

 and then put down the remainder. 



